ob·sti·nate
Audio Help [ob-stuh-nit] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [ob-stuh-nit] Pronunciation Key –adjective
| 1. | firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty. |
| 2. | characterized by inflexible persistence or an unyielding attitude; inflexibly persisted in or carried out: obstinate advocacy of high tariffs. |
| 3. | not easily controlled or overcome: the obstinate growth of weeds. |
| 4. | not yielding readily to treatment, as a disease. |
[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L obstinātus (ptp. of obstināre to set one's mind on, be determined), equiv. to ob- ob- + -stin-, comb. form of stan- (deriv. of stāre to stand) + -ātus -ate1
]
] —Related forms
ob·sti·nate·ly, adverb
ob·sti·nate·ness, noun
—Synonyms 1. mulish, obdurate, unyielding, unbending, intractable, perverse, inflexible, refractory, pertinacious. See stubborn.
—Antonyms 1. submissive, tractable.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
obstinate
To learn more about obstinate visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| ob·sti·nate
Audio Help (ŏb'stə-nĭt) Pronunciation Key
adj.
[Middle English obstinat, from Latin obstinātus, past participle of obstināre, to persist; see stā- in Indo-European roots.] ob'sti·nate·ly adv., ob'sti·nate·ness n. Synonyms: These adjectives mean tenaciously unwilling to yield. Obstinate implies unreasonable rigidity: "Mr. Quincy labored hard with the governor to obtain his assent, but he was obstinate" (Benjamin Franklin). |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
obstinate
c.1340, from L. obstinatus "resolute, inflexible, stubborn," pp. of obstinare "persist, stand stubbornly, set one's mind on," from ob "by" + stinare, related to stare "stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet).
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| obstinate | |
adjective | |
| 1. | tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield [syn: stubborn] [ant: docile] |
| 2. | stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing [syn: cussed] |
| 3. | resistant to guidance or discipline; "Mary Mary quite contrary"; "an obstinate child with a violent temper"; "a perverse mood"; "wayward behavior" [syn: contrary] |
verb | |
| 1. | persist stubbornly; "he obstinates himself against all rational arguments" |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
obstinate [ˈobstinət] adjective
refusing to yield, obey etc
Example: She won't change her mind — she's very obstinate.
Example: She won't change her mind — she's very obstinate.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Obstinate
Des"tine\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Destined; p. pr. & vb. n. Destining.] [F. destiner, L. destinare; de + the root of stare to stand. See Stand, and cf. Obstinate.] To determine the future condition or application of; to set apart by design for a future use or purpose; to fix, as by destiny or by an authoritative decree; to doom; to ordain or preordain; to appoint; -- often with the remoter object preceded by to or for. We are decreed, Reserved, and destined to eternal woe. --Milton. Till the loathsome opposite Of all my heart had destined, did obtain. --Tennyson. Not enjoyment and not sorrow Is our destined end or way. --Longfellow. Syn: To design; mark out; determine; allot; choose; intend; devote; consecrate; doom.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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